


A Tug At Heart, A Pull To Home

by Gemini_Baby



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics)
Genre: (Why is that not a tag?), Big Sister Stephanie Brown, Bonding, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Good Sibling Stephanie Brown, Humor, Makeover, Makeup, Sibling Bonding, Stephanie Brown is Damian Wayne's Big Sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:40:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29375097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemini_Baby/pseuds/Gemini_Baby
Summary: “Forget every time I said anything that implied doubt about you not being lethal”, Damian hisses.It is kind of cute but no way would Steph let him know that. Not because the kid would try to cash it or get more ego or things like that. He hasn’t reached that part yet. But, because if she points it out, he wouldpoutand claim the statement is untrue. He really needs to learn to weaponize some of the compliments, she muses. But that would mean no more adorable pouts directed at her way.OR: Somewhere along the way, Damian and Steph have started considering each other siblings. That also means going to his big sister when he needs some help or misses something from back home.
Relationships: Stephanie Brown & Damian Wayne
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	A Tug At Heart, A Pull To Home

**Author's Note:**

> So I asked to be sent Damian hcs on tumblr <3
> 
> Shauds said: For the Dami headcannons: Steph subjects Damian to makeovers, as all older sisters do to their baby brothers. (She kind of did this in an issue of Batgirl and it was so cute)
> 
> Thank you Blu (AgapantoBlu) for the beta help <3

“Forget every time I said anything that implied doubt about you not being lethal”, Damian hisses.

It is kind of cute but no way would Steph let him know that. Not because the kid would try to cash it or get more ego or things like that. He hasn’t reached that part yet. But, because if she points it out, he would _pout_ and claim the statement is untrue. He really needs to learn to weaponize some of the compliments, she muses. But that would mean no more adorable pouts directed at her way. She is sure she is the only receiver of that so far. So she shoves down the thought of training him in those things. For now. But she can always do that when she is pissed at Bruce or annoyed by Dick.

Focusing on the task at hand, she leans a bit down. The kid’s eyebrows and eyelashes are thick. And she wants to angle it right. “As much as I love that you acknowledged me, what gave away that I am lethal?”

“Hmph”, Damian tries to get away from her hold on his head, almost hurting himself in the process. “Clearly, your skills with stabbing someone in the eye are impeccable. Very refined too.”

She huffs. Of course, he would say that. But he also spends most of the time with Alfred during the day so she really can’t blame him on his blend of dry sarcasm. At least he is not trying to communicate in grunt to every statement or question. _‘Small mercies’,_ she thinks as she internally shudders.

“Where did you learn that from?” he asks in earnest.

It takes two minutes for Stephanie to realize that he is not asking about where she learnt her makeover skills from. He is asking about where she learnt stabbing someone in the eye. _The kid was serious._

She blinks, as she tries to think what to answer with. Now, it makes more sense why he is so tensed while she is trying to do his makeover. “I promise I am not going to stab you in the eyes.”

His eyes are closed but she can _feel_ his eye twitching. Time to switch tactic, then.

She leans down, whispering in his ear in a low voice conspiratorially, “A discount only for you.”

“Why would you give the discount only for me?”

A valid question.

“Because I claimed Big Sister Rights”, she grins. Standing up again, she picks up the liner again. “Besides, you are the one who asked me to apply it to your eyes.”

“I did.” He did. But not eyeliner.

The conversation had gone in so many places a couple of hours ago. But she does remember the gist. Hard to forget when it’s _Damian_ coming to her, himself _and_ asking for her help. 

* * *

“Do you know where I can buy Surma from, in this city?” Damian asked, looking everywhere but not focused at anything in particular. He shifted from foot to foot as he curled his hands into his shirt and asked, “Do you know how to apply it, too? Can you help me?”

Stephanie had fallen from the couch. “What?”

He looked at her suspiciously and then looked away, embarrassment colouring his cheeks. “I think I am out of practice in applying it. Maybe you can help me with applying it?”

“Applying what?”

“Surma.”

“What is that?”, she asked genuinely confused. She had been in the living room curled up on the couch and near napping. She had woken up to the sound of small feet shuffling into the room, awkwardly trying to reach her and maintain a respectful distance at the same time. Steph would have snorted, amused, had she not been puzzled by Damian’s question and behaviour.

“Nothing”, he said and looked ready to leave.

Steph sat back on the couch. Patting the space next to her, she invited the boy who was like her little brother to join her on the couch.

There was silence for a few minutes. They looked at each other. It was Damian who broke it. “If not surma, then kajal?” The kid looked at her with such hopeful eyes that took her breath away. Sadly, her not knowing that put out that shine of hope from those emerald green eyes.

“I don’t think I know what you are talking about. But if you explain a bit, maybe I can help?”

He looked at her, then at his lap. Eyelids fluttered and for a moment Steph feared he was going to cry.

The tears didn’t come but the deep breaths and mouth opening and closing several times before forming an answer to her question gave the internal state away.

Oh shi- 

Damian had been _hurting_ and had come to her for _help._

_(They had come a long way. Huh.)_

“Kohl." 

He said that one word only. It threw Steph off for a few seconds.

_Kohl?_

_(Why was Damian asking about Kohl?)_

_Oh._

“Yes, I do know about kohl.”

Damian blinked now, surprised. Seemed like the kid had given up and thought that she wouldn’t care or understand.

“Were you asking me about how kohl is applied and if I can do that?”

“In a way, yes.”

“I do know.”

“Do you know where to buy it from in this city?”

“I don’t but we can search, ya know?”

He stared at her. 

“Come on. Tell me about those two earlier items and we will see if we can find them too.”

Damian brightened up at the mention of that.

_Good._

_(Today was the day she realized she liked the gremlin as the gremlin, too.)_

They were researching about _surma_ and _kajal_ on her tablet. First, she pulled up info on it. Which was interesting. But sadly it turned out that there was no shop in this city with that.

“What brought this up?”

“What do you mean?”

She shrugged. He didn’t look like he was ready to talk and she didn’t want to push. 

“Let’s go and get you some kohl and eyeliner.”

It was a fun shopping trip.

* * *

Steph can’t help but feel she might have been the only one to think of it as fun. “Are you regretting it?”

“...Not yet.”

“Phew.”

“Hey, can I apply eye shadow too?”, she teased.

“On one condition.”   
“Oh?”

“You let me do your makeover too.”  
“Huh.” This is interesting.

“Good huh or bad huh?”

“I find that interesting and why not huh?”

“Really?”

“Yes,” she answered and gave him the mirror. The eyeliner had been applied. “ But I too have conditions”

“What are they?”

“We are doing this at least every other week”

Damian groans.

“Ditch that. We are doing this _every week.”_

“Which of those either things?”

“Both?”

“Alright.”

She never thought the gremlin would agree but maybe...maybe they both wanted a human connection, someone to spend time with and Gotham and crimefighting were becoming too much somedays.

Telegraphing her moves, she ruffled his hair. Damian leaned into the touch. He would deny but if asked, maybe Steph would too that she had her head on his shoulder. 

Closing her eyes, she smiled. They would be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> What are your thoughts?


End file.
